Everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's big Big Ten game

The best teams in the Big Ten belong to the state of Michigan: Michigan State and Michigan. Lucky us, they play each other Sunday in a Wolverine State showdown that has serious conference and NCAA Tournament implications on the line.

What to expect? Michigan's track record at home this season suggests a win -- it hasn't done anything but. In fact, you have to go all the way back to February 2017 to track down the last time the Wolverines took a home L.

But Michigan State, wounded and all, is no slouch itself. Sparty's dinged up having lost big man Nick Ward indefinitely and Joshua Langford definitely, but they come in with a 13-3 Big Ten record -- tied for tops with, you guessed it, Michigan -- and having won its last four. With point guard Cassius Winston leading the way, they've always got a punchers chance.

Winner takes control of the Big Ten (for now), loser's guaranteed to play catch-up until the next time these two meet in the regular season finale. Here's how you can catch the game:

Game prediction, pick

Michigan State's playing with fire. With no Nick Ward until further notice, and no Joshua Langford for the rest of the season, it has struggled early in games of late. If it doesn't get rolling until the second half Sunday in Ann Arbor, it will have a tougher-than-usual time getting back on the mat against Michigan and its No. 2 rated defense in adjusted efficiency. I suspect Sparty starts slow, Michigan starts hot, and the former can't catch the latter in the end. Pick: Michigan 70, Michigan State 64